Bottle goat questions, please.....

[greyfields]

I think any feed store will have a medicated goat feed, because goats are rather susceptible to cocci. If there's blood in the stool, then it's possibel you have Cocci. If the pooh is just runny and squirty, that's probably just from the milk replacer.

 

[helmstead]

Quote:
A) just feeding medicated feed won't do the trick. You still have to treat for it and then do herd-wide prevention on a regular basis.

B) blood in the stool is in the 'too late' phase. You HAVE to catch it early (at the first sign of the trots) and treat with antibiotics. By the time there's blood, the lining of the intestine is sloughing off and irreversable damage has been done.

ZykloniaDark-GothikRanchr - if your goats don't have the trots, then they're probably just cold but still, it is good measure to do cocci prevention on ALL babies.

Trust me, you'll notice the smell. If you're not sure if your goat has the trots, pick it up and sniff it's butt (NOT KIDDING). It shouldn't smell like anything...but if you smell a foul, nose curling smell back there...TREAT! Most of the time, though, you'll notice a runny, sometimes yellowish poo that really smells right away because it gets everywhere.

 

[ksacres]

I have been ignoring this thread as long as possible, but I now feel the need to interject. I have raised dairy goats for almost 14 years and:

That's A LOT of replacer for such young babies. Overfeeding (or feeding it too fast) is one of the leading causes of runny poo, and yes, it will cause abdominal pain and cramping.
.

Also, babies poo IS yellow, that is nothing to worry about.

Have a fecal done before you start putting medication where it may or may not belong, remember all wormers, etc are toxic. if they weren't, they wouldn't kill the parasites.


Most vets don't charge more than an office visit to do a fecal, and they will be able to tell you what parasites you have or don't have, and the best course of action, without the need to randomly medicate/worm/etc.

It is irresponisble to throw toxic substances down the throat of babies without proper cause. It really angers me when people start medicating for anything and everything without taking the time to evaluate the harm they could be doing, call your vet and get a fecal, you owe it to your animals to do what is right by them.

I appologize if this post offends, but more and more I see newbies encouraged to medicate for this, medicate for that, wormer here, antibiotic there-instead of finding out the root cause and treating for THAT particular affliction.

Would you give your child penicillin, sore throat drops, baby aspirin and a dose of dog wormer if they were sick? No, you would take them to a doctor and find out what is ACTUALLY wrong with them, and treat it.

 

[greyfields]

I think it really depends on your climate. On coastal Washington where we get 80 inches of rain per year, the parasite cycle is never broken. It's not cold in winter and not hot enough in summer to 'cleanse' the soil. According to my vet, coccidiossis can lay dormant in our soils for decades. So, we are forced to be very vigilant about parasistes and coccidiossis. However, in the long run, the only sustainable solution is to have a herd which is parasite and coccidiossis resistant. This means you have to breed yourself and let animals perish who don't have the vigor to deal with it. The goats, however, aren't intended to be meat someday so we do treat them with a coccidiostat and don't hesitate to use medicine on them. Goats are just physiologically 'weaker' then your typical livestock.

 

[ksacres]

There is nothing wrong with medicating for things you KNOW to be a problem on your land. But in this instance there is no prior history. I have only had to worm once and never treated for cocci, and I have healthy and happy goats. My point wasn't "don't use medication" it was "go to a vet and find out which medication to use"

 

[ZykloniaDark-GothikRanchr]

Quote:
I have read alot on goat care, and I wouldn't just give my goats any old meds. These babies and momma were in bad shape when I got them, I have pretty much nursed them all back to health! Their previous owner did not treat them as I would have {I am trying to be nice} so now I have to fix what they failed to do. These little girls are finally starting to perk up with the bit of meds I have given them, and are finally putting on weight!!
I was a nursing assistant for 5 years, just for humans...I wouldn't medicate unnecessarily. I understand that you wouldn't want people to just go giving out this stuff willy-nilly, but that is why I like this forum. I read ALL the thread before I go into anything, and I compare that with other things I look up online and in books. I suggest everyone to do that! But I am grateful for all the suggestions because it gives me a starting point! and anywhoo, thanx for caring about the newbs

What suggestions do you have for feeding amounts? I have not had to do that yet, but who knows.....

 

[ksacres]

Quote:
We feed 32 oz per kid per day to two weeks.
From 2 weeks to 8 weeks, it's 40 oz per kid per day.
From 8 weeks to weaning, it's 48 oz per kid per day.

I know the non-medication view is not a popular one. Preserving bloodlines of animals that do not require constant medicating is important, just as reputable breeders don't use double teated animals, they don't use unthrifty ones either.

 

[ZykloniaDark-GothikRanchr]

No, Actually I DO NOT like to medicate my animals if I don't have to!! Mine I ONLY use a wormer...that is just to get rid of the little beasties...Than I am going to switch to the herbal wormer on Fias Co. Farm's page!!
I myself don't use OTC meds, and very rarely use prescription meds, so I don't really want my animals to have them either. I felt this was important enough, I want my tiny darlings to make it and I don't think they were going to unless I intervened!!

this is one of the twins, Fauna. She is 3-4 weeks old!! She should be alot bigger!!

There are alot of really good med alternatives on Fiasco's site, and good info! But she did suggest using regular wormer first to make sure any bad infestations are gone before switching to the herbal, which is more of a preventative. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thanx for letting me know about the feeding quantities!!

 

[ksacres]

Actually, I have heard a lot of not-so-good things about herbal wormers, but I have never used them myself. I think if you are facing a worm load as confirmed by a microscope and a qualified vet (or a layperson that knows what to look for), you should use the type of wormer that is specifically for that type of parasite.


My husband and I are the same way with ourselves-don't use medication if we can avoid it. I still have vicodin I never took from when I broke my collarbone. He has all his meds from when he had a kidney stone, and the list goes on. It's not that we don't believe in conventional medicine, only that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

 

[helmstead]

ksacres - while I don't disagree with you about overmedicating, I have to rebut.

I can look at one of my children, see their runny nose, hear their cough and know they need an expectorant.

It's the same here - there are a concrete list of symptoms to go by. It's not willy nilly.

I'm very glad to hear you do fecals and they're clean and you don't have to deworm and you don't have a cocci count...but that is the exception, not the rule. For most outfits, quarterly deworming is necessary to prevent loss and a broad spectrum dewormer is necessary because one class won't hit everything you might need to hit. Also, for most outfits (not in arid climates so much, but still) a broad spectrum antibiotic is called for to prevent kid loss. It's just simple animal husbandry...and basic problem solving. Prevention is as key as treatment - and I know you say if it ain't broke, don't fix it - but why let it break to begin with?

Okay, I'll step off my soapbox hoping I've made my point.